Carlos Alcaraz’s quest to defend his French Open title nearly hit a major roadblock Friday night as the world No. battled past Damir Dzumhur in a tense four-setter, 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, to reach the fourth round in Paris.
Alcaraz appeared in full control early, breezing through the first two sets with his trademark aggression and precision. Dzumhur, however, refused to fold. The 33-year-old Bosnian raised his level in the third set, capitalizing on a dip in Alcaraz’s energy and focus to force a fourth set under the lights on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Dzumhur even broke Alcaraz early in the fourth, putting the defending champion under real pressure. Alcaraz responded by digging deep, winning four straight games to regain the lead. Dzumhur broke back while Alcaraz served for the match, but the Spaniard immediately broke again to clinch the victory after three hours of drama.
Alcaraz admitted the match was “quite challenging,” noting, “Winning Grand Slams is tough because you have to stay focused for three or four hours. The first two sets felt manageable, but then he chose to play more aggressively and deeper. My energy dipped, making it tough, but I gave it all I had. I’m proud to have won in the end”.
With this gritty win, Alcaraz advances to face 13th seed Ben Shelton for a place in the quarterfinals Meanwhile, Dzumhur exits after a spirited run, having pushed the reigning champion further than most expected.
Elsewhere, Hamad Medjedovic was eliminated in four sets by Daniel Altmaier, while women’s top seed Iga Swiatek continues her dominant run into the second week.
Tennis fans are left wondering: Can Alcaraz maintain his composure and energy as the tournament pressure mounts? The next round will provide the answers.
